Review article
Observance oj euharist outside the mass from the first centuries to the Second Vatican Council inclusive
Marin Škarica
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split
Abstract
From the very beginnings of the Church, the eucharistic
celebration was in the center of its liturgical events. It was essential to
take part in that celebration and to receive communion. At the same
time, there was fervent faith in the real Christ's presence in the
eucharistic forms of bread and wine, which were also kept after the
mass, primarilv for the communion of the dying and the sick. The
eucharistic bread and wine were always treated ,with exceptional
respec't and goven the cult of latriae, attributed only to God, but, as late as the XI* century, there were no special outward forms of their
observance. From the IV* century onward, the real connection
between the mass sacrifice and communion gradually weakens,
believers understand the mass with increasing difficulty, they resort
to private piousness, and communion grows increasingly infrequent.
This becomes more intensified in the Middle Ages. Christ's real
presence in the eucharist becomes the centre of the believers' interest
and their piousness, while the celebration itself and the essential
purpose of that presence are pushed into the background. Believers
want to see the host, they want to pay reverence and show respect to
Jesus in the eucharist publicly. That's why the host is raised and
various popular celebration appear, like the celebration of Christ's
Body and Blood, precessions, where there is much exaggeration and
. abuse. Protestant reaction develops. The Trent Council and the popes
after it, especially the ones of the XX* century, defend the traditional
eucharistic church doctrine, they encourage and tolerate variuos
forms of eucharistic piousness, preventing exaggeration. Pope Pius X.
encourages frequent, everyday communion and early communion of
children. Pius XII. continues in a similar way. The Second Vatican
Council puts the eucharist in the centre of the Church's liturgical life
and lays the foundations of its right and theologically founded
observance. Paul VI., in his Encyclical letter Mysterium Fidei,
presents and confirms the traditional faith of the Church, but not
even in this Encyclical letter can we find an integral and complete
church doctrine about the eucharistic mystery. We shall find it only in
the post-council documents.
In the end, the author critically warns that, because of the
present lack of complete and correct theology of eucharistic mystery,
it is necessary to enrich the eucharistic piety and to put it on the
right theological foundations, where the eucharistic celebration is the
centre of ali forms of eucharistic piety. Such solutions are ensured by
the postcouncil eucharistic documents.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
39035
URI
Publication date:
21.9.2001.
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